Bag-fastener clasp



Oct. 8, 929. W, c, HlERlNG 1,739,459

BAG FASTENER CLASP Filed April 27. 1925 Patented Oct, 8, 1929 .WIILLIAM or NEWARK, NEW. JERsE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE J IRae-EASTENER .oLAsR y application mea Aprii 27, 192,5; serial No, 26,176.

"This invention relates to clasp devices ap;-

plied to the frames of portable containers for tion". v c 5'v vThetype of containers referred to include f generically, hand bags, pocket books and the like, in' which a flexible covering, as leather,

retaining themfin a normally closed condiis secured at its lopen-upper endend edges,

in channelled metal frames, substantially U foshaped in cross section, and hingedly connected in pairs' at their extremities, the" bag material being held'between the sides ofeach pair of channels, filling the space therebetween. l 15 In 'common types of "securing'rneans'one of the fastener elements is engaged withone 'of the pair of frames to interlock with'the mating means on the other frame, lsucli inter-y locking being accomplished by a spring, the' ze main portion of which' is arranged within the channel frame and therefore frequentlyren' dered inoperative 'by reason of encountering the edges of thefcovering material, thus fail# ing'in the performance vof its function byV such zfobstruction." f Y' It is therefore one ofthe main-objects'of the instant invention tov provide a fastenerv of the snap clasp type inwhich' the'springr actuating element is contained almost l wholly within the-body of thefastenerv andythusnot subject to the freezingy "eife'ct* above'noted, `A further featureoffthis deviceisfinfthe 5 provis'ion'of'- adequate stops tdprevent en#` cessive motion-of the movablef parts and Another aim' tener voffsiniplel construction rand 'ornamental appearance, that can be cheaply,constructed andreadily applied tobags'which are otherwiseiin' nished condition.' Y

These and other important vfeatures are VbeingV shown in broken lines.,

which vnormall`}'retains the movable'elements" .isV to provide eili'cient fascombination of parts hereinafter described of a 'conventional'type'ofbag frame, show? ing an embodiment' of the invention Y. plied. v y

. Figure 2 is a top plan viewer the-sam on line 4 4 of Figure 2, drawn to a further"- c. niERING, OE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AssieNoRro J.' E'. MERGOT'J: oo., t.'

enlarged scale,'the open position of clasp4 Figure gis a similar sectional view italien 0n l1nev5-5`of Figure 2, i' 'f Figure f'is another like sectional 'viewjl taken on line d-'Gof Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a ,perspectiveview'ofafspringf-L Y and its Aholder as used in the construction.

Figure 8 iS a plan viewof the fastener port blank in detail.

Figure 9 is'= a' bottom plan Vview*ofthe fastener'as completely assembledreadyforjA i attachment to a bag'` frame. ,Y fr Q Iny comm-on- 'Withbags' of 'the classE to which the invention is applicable, a 'pair of'frames'f, f respectivelyV vdesignated "10 4and* y11,' arehingedlly connected at'the extremities'of tlie angular endmembers, the vframeelements being of channel 'shaped cross ysection, therev vir@ being` spaces 12 and 13 between the"Awa'llsoff` i' they frame members in which theedgesy bag material are secured,Y y The clasp, generally designatedby the nu-l meral 14, is composed cfa-plate having aHat central portion 15, its forward edge* bein'gl downwardly curved, as at 16, into'fa'r'entrant strip 17, vdisposed v at approx ima telyfthirty v projections 1'9,n slightly creased at the center,

The rear edges of theextensions are bent On they opposite, rear side',` vmaterial'is i bent downwardly at a right angle' 'iforniirngey v a wall 18, and at the ends ofthe plate"are"9- to'for'm right angular walls 21, substantiallj a in alinement with the wall 1 8, and at the front are similar'fwalls 22, their outergsur;

faces being nearly 01' quitein registerwith'f the corresponding surface of the .frame inem:

. loc

inward from the wall 22, at the left hand side .10 of the structure, beyond the adjacent lug 23,

' as best seen in-Figure 9.

A'pairof protrusions 25 are sheared from the frame member and bent to extend perl pendicularly from the center as shown in liigV 1'5 ure 1, thev openings thus produced being normally covered by the overhanging finger' grip 17. Y v In rthe mating frame member 11 are a plurality of openings 26 arranged in `paired 20, spaced relation in the curved top of the chan: A

nel, vand a single opening 27 is inalinement therewith, below the right hand extension `19 i of the clampplate. .v l v In Figure 8 isfshown` asupport blank, the 2.5 central longitudinalportion'of which is folded to produce a tube 28 from which extend vpairs of prongs 29V having angular indenta-V tions 30 at their ends facilitatingspreading `and .bending outwardly, afterbeing passed 30 through the opening's26 to be firmly ixed therein, asvindicated by the broken lines in Figure 3.

On :one edge ofthecentralportion ofthe blankl is an extension 31 which isV bent Vand-- l Y folded upon itself to produce a stop, the end edge ofwhich is seated o n the surfaceof the rameelement 11andthe'raised curved bi'ght jgortion`A presents a surface vagainst which the Y innersurface of the plate v15 makesv contact,

`4o preventing`V excessive` movement ofthe same p in a downward direction, the edgeiof the wall to its full extent.

atthecenter. Y

N Altorsionjsprlng 32 passes .throughgthe sions, 21,1. and one-Lof its. ends being bent` at i a right angleY 33 to reach under theopposite lug 241,adjacent' the wall-22,.as at 34. l,

theopening 27 nthe frameelement 11 and then straight out, as "at'36, inthe bightspacc 13, as best seen in I4`ig-ure A y .Agcatch plate 37 may be proportioned to fit below the plate 15, extending from end to endjand from the inside-of the curve 16V to make contact with/the tube 23, the plate 'havlng en d extensions38reaching between the lug/S23 Yand elements 19,V and between ywalls 65, 22 andV springwire 32, holding the same, in-

t ters Patent, is 18 makingcontact with the ,exterior of the' vframe;elemente. 1 1- when vthe plate is raised h uIt will be obviou'slthat' one or moreiofthe Lstops 31 maybe used, if desired, as `for in.-. stance' at the 'ends of the blank, yrather-.than

place under the lugs 23, the extensions being conformably shaped for such purpose.

In some cases it is desirable to dispense with the plate 37 but when used a recess V39 is formed in its rear edge which permits the stop 31 to pass through, and a pair of openings 40 are provided to receive the protrusions 25, which are entered by merely pressing the frame elements together,y the angular element- 17, when brought into contact withthe Y.

protrusions, raising thefcla'sp 14 upon its y axis represented by the wire 32, until the protrusions have passed the edge of the element 17 andthereafterengage in the openings 4.0: when theA plate 37 is omitted the protrusions 25 engage the inner edge of the lip element 17 and act to retain 'the frames closed.

It is to benoted that the `torsion spring`32 is wholly contained within the bodyv of the clasp, except orj its extremity '36,j and that thiselement-is held tightly'againstth'e in- .j

ner surface of the channelled frame so ask to I be unaffected'by the bag covering material, I

irrespective of how firmly it may be-packed within the channel.A

venting excessive movement, and the stop` 31 holding Vtheclasp 14 in position'for automatic re-engagement by Lpressing the bag jframe' side yinto intimate contact.

The clasp is obviouslyreleased l the element17 manually and simultaneously parting the frame elements, the wall 18 pref .f

,l As changes of constructioncould be.

within the scope of the invention, it -is-'intended that all matter contained'in 'the-fore;

going description or shown inthe accompany-f#l Y ing drawings shall be interpreted i as fillustrative and not in a limiting sense'.

Having thus described my invention, what' I claim as new and desire to secure byIle't-fv y-1. A bag frame claspy comprising a'tvca'singg` fixed on the jmiddle'portion.-.of. one ofthe f frame members and having a Vtube wholly en.`

closed therein, a plurality of prongs extendidly fixed inr the mentioned iframeA side, a; torsional spring-wire in the tubeits ends extend--r .ing therebeyond, one endA of -saidjwire being rigidly held in the casing and the other.` in the level and parallel withthe frames, a re-en- 'Ihe- VAopposite. portion of Ythe springv wire' 55 32.7is bent at anangle 35to extend `through.

a stop on saidtube to limit the rotative move-QY 1.10 ing in paired relation from the'tubeand rig-V ment of saidcasing by action ofsaid spring wire. l f,

2. A bag frame clasp comprising 'a sheet metal tube, means on the tube for anchorage 1n one ofthe frame sides, a torsional spring lwire enveloped in saidtube, a casing mounted on said wire at the ends of the tube,'onefend of-said wire being bent togengagethe casing and the other end'bent to-engagetheframe side, said casing having `its upper element 'normally disposed in a plane parallel and above the frame tops, projections on the mating frame side over which the casing'normally extends, to engage therewith means on said casing limiting its upward movement and means on said tube limiting the downward movement of said casing.

3. In combination with a bag frame'conb posed of a lpair of hingedly engaged channelled sides, a clasp comprising a casing having end extensions disposed midway in the length of one of the frame sides, a holder in said casingfixed on the frame side, projections on the other frame side, a catch plate Iixed in said easing having openings to engage said projections, al torsional spring earried in said holder, one end of said spring being iixed in one of the casing extensions and the other end in the first namedy frame side below the other casing extension, said spring connecting said casing to the holder and permittingV the casing to pivot thereon, said casingbeing normally level and means on said holder to limit the closing movement imparted by said spring to said casing.

4. In combination with bag frame mem- I bers, a clasp comprising a casing disposed midway the length of one of said frame members, said casing being level when in operative position, a sheet metal tube enclosed cenn trally in said casing, a pluralityv of prongs extending in paired relation from said tube, said prongs being of uniform length and having notches in their lower edges to spread in opposite directions to become rigidly fixed in one of the frame sides, a torsional spring extending longitudinally through said tube and having offset protruding ends, one of said ends being rigidly held in said casing and the other end fixed in one of the bag frame members, an upstanding projection carried by the mating frame members,` a curved and doubled lip on said tube to contact with the frame to limit its movement, and a re-entrantly turned front extension on said casing engageable with said proj eetion.

This specilication signed and witnessed this 22nd day of April, 1925.

WILLIAM C. I-IIERING. 

